A copy-editing blog covering grammar and newspapers like they're going out of style.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Quick hits

I've been keeping a running list of some of the errors I've seen this week.

In the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, there is an S on Clubs. But double-check your local organizations to see which include the S. For example, Dallas has an umbrella organization — the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas — that uses the S, but individual clubs don't — the East Dallas Boys & Girls Club.

Fighting on a grand scale is a battle royal, not a battle royale. Etymology here. (And, yes, the French do call a McDonald's Quarter Pounder a Royal (not Royale) with cheese — actually the Royal Cheese.

I've blogged about it before, but here's a reminder: When you get your just deserts, it's spelled with two S's, not three. You're getting what you deserve. (A lot of mentions of just desserts are correct, however; people are punning about recipes or restaurants. But the fact that this pun is so prevalent is in itself a reason not to use it. Cliche watch!)

4 Comments:

At the risk of sounding sarcastic (which I'm not), posts like this remind me of the real reason I read your blog - it really bothers me that all this time I thought there were 4 S's in just deserts. It just pains me that there is something else in this life that I may have been wrong about.

As G.I. Joe would say, "Knowing is half the battle." (royal, not royale)